Yippee! The three-part color poem series has ended. For this week’s last article of the month, I will break down my craft process.

The article’s purpose is to reveal how poems can shape and amplify emotion. This demonstrates how intentional language choices can transform feelings into something readers can truly feel, see, and understand.

REASONS

This post challenges the idea that poetic freedom means anything can be written and can be considered poetry. Without intention, poetry shouldn’t just be about putting feelings into words. It’s about using these words to move people.

Even the most intimate experiences can fall flat when the words fail to carry them. These misconceptions also allow AI-generated poems and commercially driven poetry to thrive. As writers and poets, we should strive to be better than that.

As my page encourages critical thinking through creativity, I’ll be explaining the three major components in making poetry. These are literary devices, figures of speech, and stylistic choices…

WHY DID I CHOOSE TO ANALYZE MY OWN POEMS?

This is what makes my pieces stand out. It’s not because I’m self-absorbed or potentially a narcissist, but I intentionally curated them so readers can uncover hidden, multiple meanings through implicit lines, layered imagery, and deliberate craft choices. This makes the analysis much easier because there is so much to unpack. From individual lines to structure, stanzas, and many more.

I highly recommend experimenting with language, especially when your pieces carry emotional depth, as it can invite readers to look beyond the surface. To note, my poems remain open to multiple interpretations. I wouldn’t touch or blur those lines. I’ll only be examining the craft choices I believe have the most significant impact on the poems’ meaning and emotional effect; otherwise, we’d be here all day.

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BLUE

My room was blue.

My clothes were, too.

ANALYSIS:

The selected lines in the first stanza evoke childhood innocence. This suggests that the narrator was young not only in age but also in emotional and mental maturity. This highlights their limited understanding of the events at the time.

The contrasting intonation of the words “blue” ↘️ and “too” ↗️ reinforces the narrator’s naive voice.

REMARKS:

I chose this phrasing over the initial drafts, “my room was blue” and “my clothes were blue,” because the revised lines create a more noticeable rhythm and repetition.

Since it’s in the opening lines, I chose to set the poem’s atmosphere first rather than immediately reveal its deeper mood or tone.

• Literary Devices:

  Ellipsis: My clothes were [blue], too.

  Parallel Structure: My + noun + was/were + [blue]

• Stylistic Choices:

  Diction: The simple concrete word choice, repetition.

• Figures of Speech:

  N/A

YELLOW

It’s forevermore locked

Away, it’s now grey

ANALYSIS:

The fragmentation of ‘locked’ and ‘Away’ emphasizes the idea of separation. The isolation of the word ‘Away’ makes ‘locked’ impactful, as it has a stronger meaning even without context. A pause here reinforces the sense of something being sealed off or inaccessible.

Quite fitting for the word, actually, because ‘locked’ is a transitive verb. This means it requires an object to function. How was it locked? If there aren’t any preposition/adverb of location present in the poem, it would be grammatically incorrect.

Following the verb, the word “Away” completes the phrase “locked away” while simultaneously emphasizing the idea of separation through its placement on the next line.

REMARKS

Yellow is a pre-planned poem. It took me three days to outline, draft, and revise.

So, I felt like a genius when the separation of the words allowed me to see their relationship more clearly.

Initially, drafting this poem seemed like a simple line break; it became meaningful once I noticed how ‘away’ was physically separated from ‘locked’, creating a fitting visual representation of something being locked away.

In conclusion, without ‘away’, the word ‘locked’ cannot function grammatically and would technically be incorrect. However, in BLUE, this fragmentation serves a stylistic purpose.

‘Away’ connects the first and second lines, allowing ‘locked’ to complete the thought across the line break while also connecting to ‘it’s now grey’, creating a deliberate pause and emphasizing the speaker’s sense of confinement and emotional transition.

• Literary Devices:

  Fragmentation: Locked / Away

• Stylistic Choices:

  Rhyme: Away / Grey

• Figures of Speech:

  Metaphor: Grey [toward the absence of light, black]

BLACK

The hostile air of silence pulls me back.

ANALYSIS:

The words ‘hostile’ and ‘silence’ work together to personify silence as something threatening and oppressive. Painting (pun intended) the word silence as ‘hostile’ gives it an almost physical presence. This reflects how the narrator’s isolation feels like something that actively pulls them back into the past.

REMARKS:

Among the poems, this sonnet creates a more cinematic effect rather than a louder mood compared to the other three. This is the summary (heart) of the poem. As you can tell, ‘isolation’ is never explicitly mentioned; instead, the poem shows how I experienced isolation through its imagery and progression.

• Literary Devices:

  Paradox (Contrast): Hostile / Silence

• Stylistic Choices:

  Structure: 10-syllable (Shakespearean Sonnet Framework)

• Figures of Speech:

  Personification: Hostile, pulls me back.

CONCLUSION:

Free-flow poems shouldn’t make writers overthink every poetic element. I didn’t consciously think about which figures of speech to use, or which words contained literary devices. However, this internalized “toolkit” guides my writing, allowing me to make intentional choices intuitively rather than forcing a device into every line.

This is what I want readers to take away: intention gives writers confidence in their choices. You don’t have to plan every poetic device; when craft becomes an internalized toolkit, you can write freely while trusting that your choices have purpose.

Poetry is an art that connects people. That connection is built through, but not limited to, intentional word choices, storytelling, and sensory imagery. This internalization can shape the emotional experience that engages the readers.

This is the difference between, let’s say, abstract art and writing: their purpose. Writing is an art. It is a means of self-expression that happens to bridge people through shared language. Other forms of art, such as abstract painting, may primarily communicate through visual expression, leaving interpretation more open to the individual viewer.

The commonalities found in three poems:

References:

Part 1-3

• Literary Devices:

  POV: First-person POV [I]

  Imagery: Visual Imagery [Colors]

  Symbolism: Colors and Objects [ex: In BLUE, pencils represent students]

• Stylistic Choices:

  Form: Free Verse

  [Although BLACK isn’t a free verse, it didn’t fit all of the criteria of a Shakespearean sonnet. I’d considered it as its framework.]

  Repetition: Lexical Repetition

  Motif: Color as motif development

• Figures of Speech:

  Metaphor: Colors to emotions

  Hyperbole: (B) The color engulfed my entire being; (Y) I can't create, not without you; (Bl) Each day is inescapable, not free.

  Personification: (B) It was simply the hue that followed me home; (Y) When you're out of stock, my mind fell in shock; (Bl) The hostile air of silence pulls me back.

  THANKS FOR READING!

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1 I sat apart where mist covered the glass.

2 And soft raindrops tapped against the window.

3 The clouds have gathered what I fear will last.

4 The storm left me in a state of limbo.

..

5 I reached for my colorful umbrella.

6 While I watched the time pass on their phones.

7 It was nothing more than a dilemma—

8 They did not care; I stood there all alone.

..

9 When I rushed home, the cold pavement stopped me.

10 The floodwater beneath me turned to black.

11 Each day is inescapable, not free.

12 The hostile air of silence pulls me back.

..

13 I put on my raincoat and walked ahead.

14 I sat apart yet fled inside my head.

“When closure is never given, silence becomes the ending.”

Based on the writer’s lived experience.

Click here to read more.

Part 1: The Color of Belonging (BLUE)

Part 2: a simple poem with fiction writing (YELLOW)

Part 3: The Rain of Isolation (BLACK)

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Blue was a color of belonging.

My walls said so.

My room was blue.

My clothes were, too.

Staring at it made me blue.

Drown! Drown! DROWN!

Do I even love it?

The color, I mean.

As far as I know, I didn’t have—a favorite color.

It was simply the hue that followed me home.

II.

It was theirs.

The room felt hot.

The ceiling was suffocating.

The air I smelt turned into water I breathed.

How did a color I like make me so uncomfortable?

The boat is sinking; the boat is sinking,

my body’s shriveling.

Everything I saw made me stop; I’m rethinking.

Overthinking.

The color engulfed my entire being.

III.

It’s overwhelming; I know that.

But what is blue when even pencils are strangers?

At least there’s something in common.

What did the blue clothes mean when I was with them?

I don’t know, and it’s not worth the risk.

Maybe that was enough.

I can’t laugh with them, speak their language.

Yet I learned to like something, if it meant I could fit in.

After all, blue is a color of belonging.

Is it?

IV.

Is it not?

My life’s a lie.

Diluting myself into this idea of friends.

I mistook a shared color for a shared place.

I already knew I didn’t have a shade;

Left in the sun while the girls gathered beneath a tree.

Their faces disappear beneath paint, as though erased from the page.

The bell rang; the canvas can’t be finished.

The color stayed long after their shadows disappeared.

Blue is a color I can’t stand.

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…

Click here to read more.

Part 1: a simple poem with fiction writing (YELLOW)

Part 2: The Color of Belonging (BLUE)

Part 3: The Rain of Isolation (BLACK)

As I prepared to write the third part, I tried to explore more of the stylistic features I could identify in R.L. Stine’s work, SAY CHEESE—AND DIE SCREAMING. However, after considering the aspects I had already examined, I concluded that this third part would be the “final one.”

Today’s article highlights some of the most significant stylistic features that can hinder your writing, among the many I have identified. And if you find this helpful, consider reading Part 1 and Part 2. Let’s get started!

Roadblock #10: R.L. Stine’s ‘favorite’—Word Economy

❌ Before:

The four paramedics were wearing white uniforms. And they arrived a short while later.

✅ After:

Four paramedics in white uniforms arrived a short while later. (Ch.6, Pg.28)

Comment:

For those who didn’t know, Word Economy is a stylistic technique that uses fewer words to convey more meaning. This is the first thing I have written down in today’s article because of its importance in written works that often rely on imagery. While writing a rough draft for my novel, many descriptions became dense and lengthy.

Just like R.L. Stine, my novel benefits from evoking emotions and psychological responses. Therefore, word economy allows writers to create vivid images without making the writing feel too heavy or overwhelming.

Linguistic Analysis:

Word economy can be examined through these two features: stylistics and syntax control.

Think of it as a camera (pun intended). Knowing where and when to zoom in or out is the essence of stylistics: deciding which details deserve focus and which ones are better left in the background.

As for syntax control, you may have several overlapping sentences, yet a sentence can still be perceived as cohesive and coherent. Take this after version as an example of a polished word economy.

Additional Take: Here’s a sample of my revised draft. In my opinion, it’s better than the rough version because this short excerpt felt so alive by pulling away at exactly the right moment and expressing emotion through dialogue.

…

“Young Prince!”

Before I could dwell on it any longer, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

“You haven’t drunk any water this morning.”

&

“…because this short excerpt felt so alive by pulling away at exactly the right moment and expressing emotion through dialogue (is also an example of word economy).

XD

Roadblock #11: Prepositions and Their Functions

❌ Before:

Amber was down on the floor. Beside her, she was trying to hold Karla still.

✅ After:

Amber was down on the floor beside her, trying to hold Karla still. (Ch.6, Pg.28)

Comments:

This made me realize that not all simple sentences I wrote in my rough draft can effectively communicate what I intended.

The previous (before) version is what I usually wrote, and you can see in the revised (after) version how the two prepositions make the line more impactful by creating a sense of urgency.

Linguistic Analysis:

The issue with roadblock number eleven is the misuse of prepositions. If you stack prepositions without considering their function, you can easily make a sentence unclear. Therefore, Semantically, the previous version felt disjointed.

Roadblock #12: Sequencing for Transitions

❌ Before:

I should have ignored them. Instead, I said… Turning away, I just glanced at my camera.

✅ After:

I should have ignored them. Instead, I said… Then I glanced at my camera. (Ch.5, Pg.25)

Comments:

Ah! Filler words. You love it or hate it; they’re my way when I was trying to become a better English writer and communicator. It was easy for me since English is not my first nor second language. The problem with this is that the plot can drag on for too long before I get to the important part.

Example: I really. Really. Really like you. However, I don’t like you anymore. It’s just. Just. …

ACKKKKK. Anyways, let’s continue. 🥲

Linguistic Analysis:

Grammatical discourse is prominent in this roadblock due to weak syntactic economy.

By using sequencing in these types of descriptive sentences, the flow becomes tighter (more controlled, concise, and efficient), and the pacing becomes smoother.

Roadblock #13: Pacing. Pacing.

❌ Before:

“NO!” I screamed.

✅ After:

“NO!” I screamed. I made another grab for it.

Too late. (Ch.6, Pg.29)

Comments:

I have no comments. The revised version can speak for itself.

Linguistic Analysis:

Grammatical discourse and Stylistics are visible in this roadblock.

Stylistics due to overwriting or a lack thereof. XD And Grammatical discourse due to poor information and scene progression in the previous version.

…

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Be careful what you wish for.

Idealizing a certain body type can do more harm than good—especially when we value the appearance of a body more than its ability to function well.

🧬 Hello everyone! In celebration of another month, this first-week article marks the 4th special. Instead of recognizing me as an English Major who analyzes different topics during my free time, etc. I’d like to share that it was not always the case.

🧪 Before I shifted courses, I entered college as a PT (Physical Therapy) student. During my first year at university, the experience deepened my appreciation for biology. So, for today’s topic, I’ll examine a cycle through a physiological lens and explore the science behind what happens inside the body via an essay format.

…

🦠 The Cycle: (Female version)

Part 1: You lost a significant amount of weight → Your menstrual period stopped for four months → You stopped crash dieting and intensive exercise →

Part 2: You gained a significant amount of weight → You tried the same restrictive diet and intensive exercise again, but this time, it backfired → You struggled to lose the weight.

This cycle is what I like to call “attaining society’s beauty standards.” Ironically, sometimes the path toward achieving the body society considers ideal may require you to eat more—not less. Let me explain:

Through a physiological lens, this concept is known as low energy availability. This occurs when the body consistently has too little energy available after accounting for exercise, forcing it to prioritize where those limited resources are directed. The body will prioritize essential functions such as tissue repair, maintaining body temperature, and supporting vital organ function.

In this situation, reproductive function may be downregulated because reproduction requires significant energy and resources. In females, this can disrupt the hormonal signaling involved in the menstrual cycle, potentially leading to irregular or absent periods.

This is especially concerning for younger women and teens because they may not yet have enough knowledge about their bodies, nutrition, and physiological development to recognize the risks of restrictive dieting and excessive exercise. And without proper guidance from qualified health professionals, it can be easy to mistake harmful changes in the body for signs of progress.

…

One of the concepts I had to learn in Physical Therapy was homeostasis. It is the body’s way of maintaining internal equilibrium, allowing its systems to function properly. This means that health is about function, resources, and balance, not simply about appearance. A smaller body does not automatically mean a healthier body, and a bigger body does not automatically mean an unhealthier body.

BMI is one tool that can be used to assess health, but it is not the only measure. Today, healthcare professionals consider a broader range of factors, including body composition, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, physical activity, nutrition, and overall health and function.

Health isn’t equivalent to body fat. Fat is one of the ways the body stores energy for later use. And where does that energy come from? Food. When the body receives more energy than it immediately needs, some of that energy can be stored as fat. When energy availability becomes too low, the body can also increase its focus on conserving and maintaining its energy reserves.

This is why, during the period when I was considered “obese” based on BMI, I actually felt that my physical and mental well-being was at its best. I had more energy for exercise without experiencing the fatigue I had felt before, and I also noticed that I seemed to get sick less often. My experience made me realize that body size alone could not fully describe how well my body was functioning.

And spoiler alert, no.

I will not lose “weight” anytime soon.

…

🧀 The environment I’m currently in is physically demanding. To keep up with both the mental stress of life and school, I have to maintain this physique. And another spoiler alert: I was able to minimize my absences this semester.

The moment I realized that I had been both very lean and undernourished was when my menstrual cycle gradually began to regulate itself again. What I once saw simply as “getting bigger” was actually my body responding to having enough energy and resources again. This goes back to my main point: “It’s not simply about how many calories you consume, but whether you are giving your body the nutrients and energy it needs.”

I was dieting now not by completely restricting my calories, but by drastically reducing my portion sizes. This time, I learned to eat regularly while focusing on smaller, balanced portions and more nutrient-dense foods.

By giving your body regular food and enough nutrients, you help it keep working normally. Your body does not need to constantly act as if food is scarce. Instead, it can use the energy it needs, store some for later, and maintain a healthy balance.

And who knows? Maybe your weight is influenced by many factors beyond body fat, such as muscle mass, bone mass, body composition, and even differences in body structure. A person can look very lean and still weigh more than you might expect. That is another reason why the number on the scale cannot tell you the whole story about your body.

…

🪷 For young women/ teens who are planning to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight, read this.

Estrogen plays an important role in this process. It is a major sex hormone in females and contributes to typically feminine patterns of body-fat distribution. In other words, estrogen influences where the body is more likely to store fat.

But here’s the catch: you cannot tell your hormones where you want your body to store fat. Your body does not know that you want more fat in one area and less in another. Fat distribution is influenced by genetics, hormones, age, and other physiological factors—not personal preference. You can change your body composition, but you cannot simply choose where your body stores or loses fat.

This is where plastic surgery and exercise are similar: both can influence how your body looks, but neither gives you complete control over how your body naturally functions or changes.

…

🥇 Congratulations! You gained health and unlocked knowledge! 🥇

…

You can’t simply think positively your way out of back pain, just as you can’t eat vegetables your way out of depression or anxiety. The mind and body influence each other, but one cannot simply substitute for the needs of the other. Health is multidimensional, and caring for one aspect does not mean the others can be neglected.

Fat isn’t the enemy. Sometimes, body image can distort our perception of reality. I remember being on a bus and thinking that I was too fat to fit comfortably in the available space. But when I actually sat down, I was shocked that I could fit into a surprisingly small space. It made me question how much of what I believed about my body was based on reality and how much came from the way I perceived myself.

🥛

Yes, I went to a doctor.

Yes, I went to a dietitian.

Yes, I get regular check-ups.

My lab results were normal every time, yet somehow, I still couldn’t convince myself that I was healthy.

Then, an epiphany hit me. If I wanted my body to reflect how happy and healthy I actually felt, I had to stop treating my appearance as the ultimate measure of my health.

…

And that brings us back to the cycle.

The food we eat provides energy. When the body has more energy than it immediately needs, some of it can be stored as fat for later use. When energy is needed, that stored fat can be broken down and used as fuel.

This is not the body “working against” us. It is the body doing what it is designed to do: storing energy, using energy, and constantly adjusting to maintain balance.

Fat can be stored. Fat can be used. Weight can change. Hormones can respond. Our bodies are constantly adapting to what we give them.

That is homeostasis.

The goal of the body was never simply to become smaller. It was to function.

ENJOYED READING THIS?

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Hello, everyone! For today’s article, I’ll be continuing my discussion on the biggest roadblocks to storytelling. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, I highly recommend checking it out first.

In Part 2, I’ll be covering as many of these roadblocks as I can. Let’s get started!

Roadblock #5: Over-explaining dialogue through dialogue tags

❌ Before:

“Bye, Ju-Ju!” They teased as the car roared away, the girls laughing wildly.

✅ After:

“Bye, Juju!” The car roared away with the girls laughing wildly. (Ch.3, pg.13)

Comments:

I know that urge to add dialogue tags to every piece of dialogue. However, writing a novel almost always includes dialogue. When I thought adding them made the scene clearer, the writing became repetitive, dense, and lengthy instead.

Linguistic Analysis:

This is where discourse analysis comes in. It is the study of language in use and how it shapes conversation and text. R.L. Stine’s writing demonstrates the pragmatic use of implied and explicit meaning.

From a linguistic perspective, dialogue tags function as interpretive cues. They guide readers in interpreting a character’s speech act. However, overusing these cues can weaken the natural flow of discourse because the writer explains meanings that readers can already infer through context.

Additional Take: What R.L. Stine did was create greater reader participation because readers construct the meaning themselves. This is something I can remind myself of—actions can be impactful if written in a way that trusts the reader.

Roadblock #6: Over-Explaining Actions During Dialogue

❌ Before:

“Take my picture!” he demanded. “Hurry!” He posed against the fireplace.

Sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes, he said, “Take my picture.”

✅ After:

“Take my picture!” he demanded. He posed against the fireplace, stuck his tongue out, and crossed his eyes. “Hurry! Take my picture.” (Ch.4, pg.19)

Comments:

Writing my novel often reminds me of additional details I want to include. During my drafting process, I tend to add details uncontrollably, believing that editing can fix them later.

Well, I was wrong. When it was time to edit the whole chapter, the process became a burden. Ngl, my sanity suffered, and it became extremely time-consuming.

Linguistic Analysis:

Syntax and discourse are both present in the after version of the extracted excerpt. The tip I can offer writers is to separate dialogue from narration, as this helps organize information more clearly.

Roadblock #7: Repetition Without Intention

❌ Before:

“I have some eye drops in my room,” Mom said. “Julie, they’re on my dresser.”

We tried them. They didn’t help at all.

✅ After:

“I have some eye drops in my room,” Mom said. “Julie, they’re on my dresser.”

We tried the eye drops. They didn’t help at all. (Ch.5, pg. 23)

Comments:

This is one of R.L. Stine’s most frequently used techniques. As a matter of fact, repetition occurs frequently in SAY CHEESE—AND DIE SCREAMING! I wanted to highlight this because we are taught in English class to avoid repetition.

This was my hill to die on when I was writing my novel, until I stumbled down. My favorite author broke the rule, yet it made sense?! I started rethinking my life decisions. /jk 😂

Linguistic Analysis:

Pragmatics is evident in the after version. This is why the repetition of eye drops feels intentional rather than unnecessary.

Pragmatics refers to the implied meaning of language in use. It focuses on the speaker’s hidden intention rather than the literal meaning of the words.

In linguistics, pragmatics is the interpretation, while repetition is the stylistic choice that helps produce that interpretation. This is the precise relationship between the two.

Roadblock #8: Rushing the Big Moment

❌ Before:

I saw Karla Mayer, our best player. The star basketball player of the Tigers.

✅ After:

I saw Karla Mayer, our best player. She stole the ball and dribbled down the floor. She stopped at the line and sent up an easy three-pointer. (Ch.5, pg.24)

Comments:

This revision challenges me, as a beginner novelist, to describe every scene I visualize. Since I imagine my work-in-progress novel as if it were a Webtoon, this is a technique I definitely want to practice.

Linguistic Analysis:

This revision highlights the relationship between semantics and pragmatics.

Roadblock #9: Adding Unnecessary Movement Details

❌ Before:

I took out my best digital camera and hurried up the steep steps.

✅ After:

I took out my best digital camera and hurried up the steep steps. I let out a sharp cry as a red-and-white trainer struck out and tripped me. (Ch.5, pg.24)

Comments:

Do keep in mind that writing is a balance of the grammatical and linguistic features I’ve discussed. Writing involves more than simply putting words on a page—it requires being mindful of syntax, pragmatics, stylistics, morphology, semantics, grammar, and many other aspects of language, all of which work together simultaneously.

Linguistic Analysis:

This revision highlights the role of stylistics, the study of how language choices create particular effects. Instead of describing the movement in a more general way, R.L. Stine writes hurried up the steep steps.

This stylistic choice creates a stronger visual image and increases the sense of urgency, allowing readers to experience the movement rather than simply understand its direction.

Additional Take: Additionally, the final sentence establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship, helping readers understand why the character's movement is important in this scene.

Thanks for reading!

If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, I highly recommend checking it out first.

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Which writer am I? If you stuck around my page long enough, you could tell I am a narrative writer. Drafting my novel on the side, the quality of the essays I produce couldn’t compare to what I want for it. Then I stopped—

I focused on writing Substack articles while revising my storyboard. Fortunately, the experience boosted my confidence and polished my grammar to the point where I just needed to start drafting my novel again. I mean, the outline is 93 percent finished; what could go wrong?

As it turned out, my favorite horror author, R.L. Stine, and his novel Say Cheese—and Die Screaming! exposed some of the biggest roadblocks to storytelling.

😂Ironically, I learned these lessons not while writing horror but while having my fantasy romance novel in mind.

🌠In this article, I’ll break down the first four points I annotated, explaining the linguistic principles behind them from the perspective of an English major while reflecting on how each one has shaped my own writing journey. 🌠

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Roadblock #1: Trying to Describe Everything at Once

❌ Before:

He was tall, skinny, pale, and had a narrow face with dark eyes and messy hair.

✅ After:

He was tall and lanky. He’s so skinny, the bones stick out of his wrists. (Ch.2, Pg.7)

Comments:

The first mistake I made was trying to fit an entire character description into a single sentence.

I wanted to include every minor detail, believing it would make the description more vivid and whimsical. Instead, the sentence became crammed and overloaded.

Linguistic Analysis:

This revision reminded me how important syntax is when a sentence contains many descriptive details (modifiers). Syntax is the way words, phrases, and clauses are arranged to create clear and well-structured sentences.

In this case, organizing the description around a clear subject–verb pattern and moving the extra details into separate clauses made the sentence more balanced and easier to read.

Additional Take: More importantly, I realized that syntax doesn’t stop at individual sentences. It also influences how sentences connect to form a coherent paragraph. Sometimes, breaking a complex idea into multiple sentences makes the writing clearer and more effective than trying to fit everything into one.

Roadblock #2: Letting Adjectives Do All the Work

❌ Before:

The old camera hung around my neck.

✅ After:

I shook my head. “It’s one of my old cameras.” It swung from a strap around my neck. (Ch.1, Pg.3)

Comments:

The second mistake I made was relying on adjectives without expanding on them.

I always wondered why those descriptions felt lifeless. There’s nothing wrong with describing a scene directly, but because I’m writing a fantasy romance novel, the natural goal is to make readers feel the world through my words, not just understand what it looks like.

Linguistic Analysis:

This revision highlights the importance of lexical choice—choosing words that paint a clearer picture. From a semantic perspective, replacing the vague adjective old with concrete details reduces ambiguity and helps readers imagine the object more vividly.

Semantics is the study of word meaning. By replacing the broad adjective old with more specific descriptions, the sentence communicates a clearer meaning and helps readers build a more vivid mental image. R.L. Stine reinforces this effect by expanding the description in the following sentence.

Additional Take:

There we go; this version allowed me to understand where the setting takes place. It takes place in a school.

Roadblock #3: Explaining Too Soon

❌ Before:

“I’ve got to watch my younger brother, Sammy, in the morning,”

“I’ve got to watch Sammy, my younger brother, in the morning.”

✅ After:

“I’ve got to watch Sammy in the morning,” I said. Sammy is my little brother. (Ch.1, pg.5)

Comments:

My modifiers tend to be preplanned. I usually know the imagery I want to create and the relationships between my characters, which often leads me to pack too many descriptive details into a single sentence.

Linguistic Analysis:

This leads me to this analysis: R.L. Stine frequently uses embedded descriptions. He introduces new information by not describing a character or object all at once; instead, he inserts short explanatory sentences only when readers need them. This syntactic approach distributes information across multiple sentences, keeping the narrative clear while maintaining its pace.

Roadblock #4: Making Every Sentence Do Too Much

❌ Before:

And David Blank slowly came into focus, standing next to Mr. Webb, raising his camera.

✅ After:

And David Blank slowly came into focus. He was standing next to Mr. Webb. He had his camera raised. (Ch.2, pg.7)

Comments:
As a beginner, I tend to overuse this technique, which often makes my descriptions feel rushed.

But this compressed style can work for advanced writers because it requires careful control of sentence structure. Stine's version reminded me that separating actions into individual sentences can create stronger emphasis and clearer imagery.

Linguistic Analysis:

This revision highlights the role of syntax in controlling narrative pacing.

My version compresses multiple actions into participial phrases, while R.L. Stine distributes them across separate independent sentences. This syntactic choice allows readers to process one visual detail at a time, creating clearer imagery and stronger emphasis.

Additional Take: Although I would keep this style of writing—where I switch my verb tenses- this chapter displays simplicity if I get stuck in the syntax’s movement.

The purpose of choosing R.L. Stine isn’t simply because he’s my favorite author. He’s a master of evoking emotion through vivid imagery, and his control of sentence structure gives each line a natural sense of movement. Despite using simple vocabulary, the underlying structure of his writing is remarkably easy to analyze, making his books an excellent model for studying the mechanics of storytelling.

Sample Revision:

She was all set! After all, the maids never forgot her knee-high socks and black shoes. And oh, even her wavy hair had been neatly brushed and left unadorned.

She had passed the entrance exam.

(Now, you can’t tell that this is a draft anymore.) 😂

Follow me for part 2

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Imagine you’re cutting down trees, waiting for night to fall. Then suddenly, it rained. Lightning strikes you in the middle of nowhere. Your campfire is rapidly running out of fuel. As the cultists attack your remaining teammate, how on earth are you going to survive 99 Nights?

Your attention span is that of a child, too. Each day lasts about 3 minutes, and a night lasts about 1 minute and 30 seconds; the question remains: is it worth it for a Roblox survival game?

One run takes 7 to 10+ hours to complete, and it can end in a snap.

This is 99 Nights in the Forest

A Roblox game that challenged children’s short attention span, so much so that it ranked third on Roblox’s 2026 global charts. Having 28.1B+ visits and 227,896 active players on June 14 alone,

This article examines the evidence behind the widespread belief that the younger generation has a short attention span and explores why this assumption may be inaccurate, using 99 Nights in the Forest as a case study.

COMMENTARY

I played this game in its alpha phase. I thought it was great at first, until more updates came out that made the overall experience mediocre.

I’m not criticizing the game; rather, its current direction has drifted significantly from what it was originally intended to be: Survive 99 nights and find the 4 missing children.

However, during my time playing there, I have found some takeaways as to why I ended up with 250+ nights as my highest.

…

KEY TAKEAWAY #1

• Long-term Reward Over Instant Gratification

Most modern games are designed around quick matches, constant rewards, or endless scrolling. 99 Nights in the Forest does the opposite. The game demonstrates that players can remain engaged for long periods when the goal is meaningful and each action contributes to future success.

A perfect example is earning diamonds, which can only be awarded to a class of your choice after returning to the lobby. This requires players to restart or die and return to the lobby because some classes are limited by a timer.

KEY TAKEAWAY #2

• Meaningful Goals Over Constant Stimulation

The game gives players a clear objective from the beginning. Since every night matters, players stay focused without needing constant novelty.

This leads to the conclusion that this game’s attention is sustained by purpose and progression, not just frequent rewards.

KEY TAKEAWAY #3

• Teamwork Over Solo Runs

A major reason many players spend hours in the game is that it is cooperative. It makes you think about how to divide responsibilities among the members, how to communicate efficiently while finding resources, and how to protect one another effectively if one member is a beginner.

And, indeed, shared experiences and teamwork can significantly increase sustained attention and motivation.

KEY TAKEAWAY #4

• Attention is not merely held by constant stimulation but by meaningful experiences that give people a reason to stay.

This article challenges the belief that the younger generation has a short attention span. As 99 Nights in the Forest demonstrates, attention is sustained by meaningful experiences, not determined by age. For creative writers and creators alike, the challenge is not to fight diminishing attention spans, but to create work that deserves them.

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Animal Hospital. It’s a horror game that took Roblox by storm.

With a total of 441.2 million visits and maintaining a high like ratio of 95.4%, it surpasses other popular Roblox games in real-time rankings.

At first glance, those numbers might seem like the result of following a proven formula. Instead, it's a game that broke conventional horror tropes and still rose to become the most-played game on the platform.

In today's article, I'll explore how Animal Hospital offers a fresh perspective on Roblox horror and why its unconventional approach creates fear, suspense, and lasting player engagement.

What the Game Did Right?

For most game developers and creative writers, the recipe for a good horror story lies in its immersion. Including myself, I think that having the ability to make players forget they're simply playing a game and instead feel as though they're living through its dangers is an incredible feat.

Yet the recent success of 99 Nights and Animal Hospital suggests that there is another secret. Playing these games made me realize that the exact opposite, evoking fear through divided attention, can be just as immersive as confronting players with danger head-on.

The Mechanics of the Game

Its mechanics are quite simple.

…

• Treat the patients

• Reject the skin walkers

• Upgrade the hospital

• Maintain Sanity

• Discover NPC Lores

• Avoid the anomalies

• Fix cameras

…

These are just the tip of the iceberg. What the game did right is that it builds psychological horror by overwhelming the player’s attention, forcing every decision to compete with another equally urgent responsibility. And—

Don’t get me started on the dreaded solo ambulance event on shift 4…

As you might expect, this game relies on teamwork. But what if these random players on your team quit mid-game in a high-stakes shift? This leads me to the next chapter.

CHAPTER 2: THERE ARE SO MANY DUMB WAYS TO DIE

Evoking fear through divided attention is only part of the experience. What truly makes Animal Hospital unique is the sheer number of ways things can go wrong. Just like in 99 Nights in the Forest, the challenge of preventing them all at once is psychologically addictive.

Speaking from personal experience, beating Shift 6 as a solo player felt nearly impossible. I eventually had to rely on numerous video guides instead of repeatedly throwing myself into failed attempts.

Exhibit A: How to Counter the Bed Monster

Exhibit B: How to Counter a Skinwalker’s Death Ritual

Exhibit C: How to Expose the Ghost and Its Counter

CHAPTER 3: THE CONCLUSION

Playing Animal Hospital gave me a new perspective as a writer. It challenged my assumption that only stories and games built around familiar tropes are destined to succeed. Instead, it reminded me that audiences don’t necessarily crave what is familiar—they remember what feels fresh.

My biggest takeaway for writers and creators alike is that innovation doesn’t require abandoning the essence of a genre. Sometimes, it simply means having the courage to question its conventions. Although this game presents a relatively mild horror experience, Animal Hospital reimagined how horror could be experienced. Even as simple as attention can be manipulated to create emotion. In this case, panic!

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As a horror fanatic, I held this genre to a high standard. When I saw that Obsession (2025) was trending, I felt compelled to watch it.

I. Looking Beyond the Scares

What makes horror such a difficult genre to execute is that it cannot rely on overused clichés alone.

It often falls flat because its critical thinking and creativity are different from the rest. This genre heavily requires the ability to think and feel outside the box.

And as a writer, it’s a fan-favorite of mine that I hesitate to work with.

Let this article serve as a reminder that a compelling premise alone isn't enough.

This is exactly how I felt about Obsession (2025). Given my background as an English major, I thought that this film was underdeveloped. Watching it through the lens of literary techniques and storytelling, even its strongest ideas struggle to reach their full potential. Let me explain:

On a Side Note:

I went into Obsession (2025) completely blind. I had no reviews, interviews, or spoilers to go by. And a piece of advice I can give for new writers is that your main goal is to communicate core ideas clearly enough that readers don’t need outside clarification to understand them.

So, if any misinterpretations arise, it suggests that the story didn’t communicate its intended meaning as clearly as it could have—not solely about my lack of reference.

With this out of the way, I’ll get started.

II. What the Film Did Well

Foreshadowing and imagery are this movie’s greatest strengths.

In making horror films, one of the biggest challenges I saw was that communicating through subtle imagery is harder than relying solely on dialogue.

While dialogue can easily explain what's happening, visual details require careful planning and creativity to evoke fear while advancing the story. This is what made Obsession (2025) stand out uniquely in the industry. Its imagery that is not subtle—it’s evident. Here are two perfect examples I hand-picked from this movie:

• First, when the main character said something along the lines of: ‘Nothing bad is going to happen, right?’ the scene immediately followed with a loud thud, foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen.

• Second, the cinematic paneling towards the wilted flowers by the window. As the wilted flowers in the vase turn to ashes, this imagery suggests that the second protagonist has been fully corrupted.

Although there is another one—I thought this scene, which is not to be mentioned, was exclusive to those who know about witchcraft and the occult rather than the average watcher, which leads me to the next section:

III. What I Felt Was Missing

This movie is good for a horror film, but if it were to be executed in a 1–5-minute TikTok, it’s even better. In my opinion, what made Obsession (2025) underdeveloped is that it introduces witchcraft with little context, offering no brief introduction or foundation for its supernatural elements.

This is what not to do.

Rather than expecting the audience to already understand the story’s world, effective storytelling allows them to discover it naturally as the narrative unfolds.

And the nail in the coffin for me was the second protagonist's unexplored internal struggle. The film positions Nikki as one of its emotional centers, yet I never truly experienced the story through her. This is where immersion begins—and where the film fell short.

Another important and helpful tip for new writers is to create immersive characters. When readers care about a protagonist, they experience the story alongside them. This is what Bear, the protagonist of Obsession (2025), failed to do from the very beginning. So, rather than me feeling protective of him, I found myself watching the horror unfold from a distance.

To add, the cherry on top was the missed opportunity to turn the mirror into a recurring motif. Each mirror scene could have reflected Nikki’s gradual corruption. Maybe even show that the mirror is slowly shattering as the story unfolds.

* Motif - an idea that appears repeatedly in the work of an artist or in a piece of writing or music.

IV. The Conclusion of Obsession (2025) In Effective Storytelling

The horror is more than frightening the audience. It can communicate through symbolism, imagery, and motifs.

The most memorable horror stories are those in which every literary technique serves a purpose. Obsession (2025) is a good horror film with a compelling concept. However, due to it being underdeveloped, my rating goes to a solid 8 out of 10.

Although Obsession (2025) delivers a psychological effect and impressive cinematography, my biggest takeaway as an English Language student is this: effective storytelling isn't just about great ideas—it's about developing them through thoughtful execution. As for my analysis, I hope this article proves helpful to fellow writers and readers alike.

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Thank you for reading :)

It’s easy to rant on social media about the personal freedom of someone, but the issue goes beyond the phrase: “You’re 18. You’re an adult.” It lies in the assumptions that follow. Today’s article examines the contradiction between adult responsibilities and childlike restrictions as one of the most overlooked tensions in modern culture.

CHAPTER 1

Adulthood ≠ Age

In Western cultures, they assume that freedom creates maturity. Meanwhile, in Eastern and Southeastern cultures, guidance is what creates maturity.

• financial stability

• contributing to the family

• respecting elders

• marriage

• fulfilling family obligations

These are the lists that are tied to the East and Southeastern cultures on what ‘real freedom’ is.

Someone can be 30 but still be treated as a child within the family. However, in the West, they prioritize:

• Move out

• Be independent

• Make your own decisions

• You’re responsible for yourself

Neither assumption is universally right nor wrong.

This is the paradox of adulthood.

CHAPTER 2

The Paradox of Adulthood

I’m legally an adult, yet I’m still treated like a child. I can’t even run a basic errand without being monitored. As someone who grew up with Western media, that contradiction has shaped the way I view adulthood.

I’ve come to believe that adulthood isn’t simply about being old enough to carry responsibilities. It’s also about being trusted with the freedom to learn, make decisions, and accept their consequences.

Perhaps the real question was never, “When do you become an adult?”

Perhaps it’s “When are you finally allowed to become one?”

CHAPTER 3

When Guidance and Freedom Become Control

Neither complete freedom nor constant guidance is the answer. One can leave people unprepared, while the other can leave them dependent.

The purpose of guidance is not to keep someone under control forever. It is to prepare them for the day they no longer need it. Likewise, freedom is not the absence of guidance, but the opportunity to apply what guidance has taught.

Perhaps adulthood was never about reaching a certain age. Perhaps it was always about gradually earning trust, learning from mistakes, and being allowed to grow.

Because guidance that never leads to freedom eventually becomes control.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS SIMPLE ESSAY;

YOU HAVE REACHED THE END!

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“Love is the ultimate driving force of happiness.” - St. Augustine

…

“Happiness is the ultimate purpose of life.” - Aristotle

🌠 TUTORIAL STAGE

There’s a fine line between love and happiness.

…

🎉CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NEW EXP POINTS 🎁

+ 100 EXP Daydream

+ 100 EXP Happiness

In the game of life, they’re all blurred.

⭐ [CHARACTER UNLOCKED: NPC] ⭐

You don't love the game; you love the happiness it gives you.

…

This is what most critics fail to uncover: Why do they love the feeling of love? Why do they love even the idea of it?

The cycle of corrupted love remains unbroken because we treat “people love the feeling or idea of love” as the answer, rather than asking the question it leaves behind: Why?

It is why this article exists—not to examine love itself, but to investigate the root of our attraction to it.

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🌈 LEVEL 1: THE GAME’S DESIGN

- 50 EXP Critical Thinking

+ 100 EXP Ignorance

- 50 EXP Self Awareness

Every game has its own objective—whether it’s to hook you through its visuals, storytelling, gameplay, or music. Yet they all share one common element. It’s their purpose: to entertain people. These games are carefully crafted and meticulously designed to provide happiness.

And if Aristotle is right about “happiness is the ultimate purpose of life,” I can deduce that happiness overlaps with love through their effects.

Excitement. Joy. Comfort. Fulfillment.

Both are capable of producing the same emotional rewards. This overlap is precisely what makes the distinction so difficult to recognize. When a game makes us happy, we rarely stop to question why. We simply enjoy the experience.

Similarly, we no longer ask whether we love the person or the happiness they bring. To us, the two become the same. And perhaps that is where the confusion begins.

🎭 LEVEL 2: THE CHARACTER ILLUSION

+100 EXP Projection

-50 EXP Introspection

+100 EXP Attachment

Characters are not safe either. They’re curated to give players an immersive experience. Take this game as an example: a faceless blob is enough to cure someone’s depression.

Fig. 1 MECCHA CHAMELEON

Do you understand the analogy this article is coming from? If a simple blob can evoke such strong emotions, imagine the effect of an actual person.

The point is not the blob itself. Rather, it is the meaning players attach to it. People rarely interact with things as they are. Instead, they interact with the emotions, expectations, and interpretations they project onto them.

• A blob becomes a friend.

• A character becomes a companion.

• A person becomes an ideal.

And the stronger the projection, the easier it becomes to mistake the image in our minds for reality. If corrupted love is born from projection, then how does happiness fit into the equation? The answer lies in the next level.

⚠️ LEVEL 3: THE LOVE LABEL

+100 EXP Negativity

When examining anything, always inspect the reward.

If love results in happiness, most players will see no reason to look any further.

But when happiness becomes the only reward worth chasing, hidden status effects emerge unnoticed, disguising themselves as love.

Imagine constantly asking yourself:

• Why am I thinking about them?

• Why does their attention matter so much?

In this level, it answers how labels simplify complexity. It makes critical thinking exhausting and self-awareness uncomfortable. Putting the label of “love” offers a convenient shortcut.

👑 ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: STATUS BAR 👑
Once we call it love, the investigation often ends before it begins.

⚙️LEVEL 4: HIDDEN MECHANIC DISCOVERED

The easiest way to understand a system is to observe it under stress.

As long as happiness is being received, both healthy and corrupted forms of love can appear identical. The difference only emerges when the reward is threatened.

🥇RESULTS COMPARISON: HEALTHY RESPONSE

1. When the person doesn't like you.

   —> That's okay.

   —> + 100 EXP Respect.

2. When the person smiles at you.

   —> Maybe they’re just being kind?

   —> +100 EXP Awareness.

🥈RESULTS COMPARISON: HIJACKED RESPONSE

3. When the person doesn’t like you.

   —> I hate you now.

   —> +50 EXP Entitlement.

4. When the person smiles at you.

   —> Do they like me? I hope they do.

   —> +50 EXP Uncertainty.

🎯 LEVEL 5: THE ROOT CAUSE

+100 EXP Reflection

The phrase “people love the feeling of love” was never the final answer. It was only the beginning of the investigation.

Each time we ask why we desire love, why we desire its feeling, and why we desire even its idea, the question leads us back to the same place.

This is why the blob analogy matters.

• A blob has no obligation to love you.

• A character has no obligation to love you.

• A person has no obligation to love you.

Yet all three can become sources of happiness.

And when happiness becomes attached to something, the mind naturally begins assigning value to it. What begins as a source of happiness can become a friend, a companion, or even an ideal.

The pursuit was never the blob. The pursuit was never the character. And perhaps, sometimes, it was never even the person.

It was the happiness they provided.

It’s the pursuit of happiness all along…

.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED THE END!

Let’s play (read) again next time :D

Hello everyone! Including my dear readers! 💛

For those of you who haven’t read my Valentine’s special or a simple poem with fiction writing, this article marks the 3rd special. 🥳

Today, I’ll be explaining how I avoided a huge red flag through detective storytelling. This is—Detective Squeak: On the Case! ‘Quack.’

…

Case File 003: OPENED

“Hello Detective Squeak, I’m [redacted]. I recently filed a complaint stating that I had received confusing signals from [unknown]. For most, it’s an honor to be liked, but in my case, I’m unresponsive. Could you help?”

“You see,”

“I noticed a recurring pattern where individuals I developed interest in later turned out to be already involved with someone else.”

“As a result, I decided to focus on self-growth this semester. And during this period, I came to value personal freedom in relationships.”

“This is exactly the problem, Detective—it happened again. This is the third person, following the same pattern. So, I had no choice but to reassess everything.

Detective Squeak:

“Don’t worry. Let’s reassess everything together.”

1. How did you feel when you realized it was happening again?

“Hypothetically, if they did ‘like me’…”

“I didn’t want him to confess, Detective Squeak.”

“I don’t want to accept or reject them. My soft heart can’t handle that. I don’t want to hurt someone just because I’m choosing to put myself first. If I’m being honest, I’d rather it be the other way around.”

2. Hypothetically speaking, is it possible to choose both personal freedom and [unknown] at the same time, if the circumstances allowed it?

“No.”

“My desire for personal freedom outweighs everything. I think that they’ll be a barrier, not a helper.”

“I was a (ship)wreck, Detective; I was still finding myself. I felt he deserved someone more on his level at that point. So, ‘no’ again.”

3. At what point did you start noticing that this wasn’t just isolated cases but a repeating pattern?

“Logically, it made sense.”

“With the previous two, I experienced limerence, and it didn’t work out.”

“My big brain decided it might be worth trying the opposite approach; I predicted that if I ignored them, they would eventually lose interest and move on.”

4. Looking back, were there moments when your intuition reacted before anything was confirmed?

“Yes, I remembered how it felt. I felt like I was a bird trapped in a cage.”

“Not only was I confused about whether I should confess or continue choosing personal freedom each day, but I was also confused about them and their antics.”

Evidence Gathered 001:

• Occasional eye contact more than expected

• Frequent proximity without direct interaction, suggesting hesitation

• Appeared to have familiarity with my daily routine (unconfirmed)

Victim: [redacted]

Motto: ‘I love tea, but I don’t want to be the tea.’

(Spoiler: [redacted] became the tea, and they landed on Detective Squeak’s show.)

Statement: “I was like a background tree in a stage play, but I still managed to be noticed… Sad life.”

…

We’ll be back after the short break. 🐣

Detective Squeak: “Under my investigation, I gathered multiple observations and reported accounts that helped clarify the situation.”

🗂️ EXHIBIT A: The Rumors

• Their friends were observed teasing them about a specific classmate.

• Verbal cues suggested they were perceived as connected within their social circle.
  Evidence recorded.

🎁 EXHIBIT B: Valentine’s Day Incident

• A teacher observed that the same classmate appeared unusually quiet.

• They expressed jealousy verbally.

• Shortly after, the individual provided them with a small gift bag containing chocolates.
  Evidence recorded: An existing connection was observed.

🔄 EXHIBIT C: The Contradiction

• However, there were no consistent observations of them behaving as a couple. After class, they were often seen in separate groups with no clear interaction.

• Level of clarity: Inconclusive. Investigation continued.

🧩 EXHIBIT D: Final Confirmation

• Location: School elevator

• Witness accounts from classmates indicated both individuals were named together, with reports of a recent conflict involving jealousy and attention concerns.

• No assumptions were made; information was based on reported statements.
  Evidence recorded: A confirmed social link was established.

Detective Squeak: “It seemed that [redacted] had no luck in consulting her family and friends, as well. This is why she came here. Take a look.

👥 FRIEND: “You’re just being delusional.”

[redacted]’s rebuttal: Delusion is when you want someone to like you and believe it against reality. I wanted the opposite—I was scared, not hopeful.

👩 MOTHER: Interpreted the situation lightly, treating it as a typical school interaction.

🏫 SCHOOL AUTHORITIES: Not an option. [redacted] thinks it would turn into unnecessary drama.

Key Findings:

1. They were already involved with someone else, based on available information.

2. Even so, I still noticed them paying attention and being aware of me, even when I tried to keep to myself.

3. I thought they might be more interested because I wasn’t giving them attention, but I can’t be sure of their real reason.

4. The main concern was the stress and confusion the situation caused me.

5. My early discomfort matched what I later observed.

Case Resolution for [redacted]:

• My confusion and curiosity are now gone.

• There was no confrontation or drama.

• I chose to keep a polite distance and clear boundaries.

• In the end, I avoided getting involved and kept myself in pieces.

“Thank you, Detective Squeak! Your play dumb detective technique really helped me make sense of the presented evidence. I managed to lay low, being ‘ignorant’ but wise as a serpent.”

“I’ve learned that awareness is not overthinking—it is protection. I didn’t fully understand this before, but experience made it clear. The advice I once heard on YouTube became something I actually applied in real time, trusting my intuition before it was too late.”

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“And in Exhibit D, God heard my prayer and answered it through a coincidental, tangible receipt. For the girl—if the guy dares to have a wandering eye, I would probably be his next target. I choose peace.

“These types of men are red flags because of their chokehold. It reached a point where the girl became jealous and didn’t want to go to school. Maybe it was her who’s the problem, but we will never know. 😏”

Detective Squeak: On the Case! ‘Out.’

‘Quack.’

As an analysis writer, writing analytical essays was my pride and joy—I hoped for a few, if not one, to stand out on my page. Ironically, a simple poem with fiction writing became my most viewed yet. And it’s still growing in numbers!

That realization made me curious. Not the simple poem, but fiction writing. It made people stay. This got me asking, “What did I do differently, and what can other writers learn from it?”

Today’s article is my attempt to answer that question. By breaking down my writing process for THE VASE OF GRIEF through visual guides and a house analogy, I hope to share practical lessons that can strengthen your storytelling. Let’s get started!

To know THE VASE OF GRIEF is to know your writing style. When I work on a piece, it’s like building a house. I write circularly, not linearly. I favor closed endings where ideas are interconnected. Because of that, my works were able to create a smooth, continuous reading flow to the end.

⭕

What my writing process looks like: The 4 Ings

Outlining - Drafting - Editing - Revising

Think of outlining as the blueprint in our house analogy.

I have two outlines:

Outline 1: The Furniture. The main objectives for your story.

(1) 📺 (2) 🛋️

•📺: Connecting vase and grief

• 🛋️: Focus on the tone and mood - Psychological Horror

Outline 2: The Living Room. The mapping of ideas. 📍

• (1) Attraction: “During that summer morning…”

• (2) Curiosity: “Its polished white surface.”

• (3) Time Distortion: “Soon the birthday went smoothly.” to “I don’t understand.”

• (4) Urgency: “I slowly lifted the vase by its neck.”

• (5) Despair: “I pulled harder, and it shattered.”

• (6) Hopelessness: “I hid my grief… Until I couldn’t tell what was real anymore.”

Moving on to drafting, it’s when I clean my living room in preparation for my furniture. Think about it as these four (4) processes:

Sweeping, Mopping, Vacuuming, Dusting

• Sweeping: Using Everyday Language.

I use the first-person perspective to make the experience more personal. I also keep vocabulary simple, so it doesn’t hinder readability.

• Mopping: Figures of Speech

Simile, Irony, and Personification are prominent in this piece to strengthen the atmosphere and emotional depth.

• Vacuuming: Writing Techniques

Foreshadowing through subtle repetition of the phrase “summer morning” is what I did to create that irony as the story unfolds.

• Dusting: Mood Structure

I structured the opening paragraph to draw the readers in through a combination of prepositional phrasing, then a clause at the start. And an emotional hook in the end to set the mood.

Next up is editing. This is where you color the walls and the living room floor. This set includes these five (5) tools:

Base color, Blending, Shadow, Eraser, Highlights

• Base color: Expand. Expansion is where I add detail to a simple idea, giving it depth and texture.

Base: It looked too clean.

Expanded: Its polished white surface made the floral designs presentable in a way.

• Blending: Transition. This is the art of moving from one idea to another smoothly, allowing the reader to follow the flow without interruption.

Base: She smiled when she saw it, and that was enough.

Transition: I don’t understand, but many flowers wilted inside that vase.

• Shadow: Shift. A shift introduces a new idea, tone, or focus. Unlike a transition, it creates a noticeable change in direction.

Base: It felt like the perfect gift for my mom. (Others)

Shift: It felt like it was for me. (Self)

• Eraser: Cut. Cut is the removal of unnecessary information. Sometimes clarity comes not from adding more, but from leaving less.

Base: Water spilled across the wooden floor and froze.

Cut: The room was chilly this summer morning.

• Highlights: Support. Support is the reinforcement of an idea through surrounding details. Each sentence strengthens the meaning of the one before it.

(The second sentence supports the vagueness of “them” by revealing what the narrator was trying to save.)

Base: Trust me, I tried to save them.

Support: I watered the flowers and gave them sunlight.

Finally, here’s the last part: revising. A revision is putting the furniture in the room. It’s adjusting the position of a couch, attaching wires to the TV. These are the minor tweaks in grammar—spellings, punctuation, word choices.

• Couch Facing The TV: “I don’t understand, but many flowers wilted inside that vase.”

The sentence was originally written as “I don’t understand it.” However, I chose to remove the word ‘it’ to convey a greater sense of urgency. The same principle applies to “from my dolls to…” In moments of panic, people rarely speak in complete sentences. By cutting words, I aimed to reflect that fragmented state of mind and make the emotion feel more immediate.

Real-life example:

“Where are you?!” instead of “Where are you right now?!”

“I’m in E.R!” instead of “I’m in the emergency room at this hospital!”

The next thing you may have noticed is my use of simple punctuation marks—periods, commas, semicolons, ellipses, and em dashes. I am usually the type of writer who uses punctuation liberally. However, because tone and mood were among my main objectives, I exercised more restraint and chose punctuation that best supported the story’s atmosphere.

Thanks for reading!

You have reached the end.

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…

To the world, the idea of a soulmate is something that’s beyond criticism. It’s wrapped in the prettiest present, which inspires many to move forward to seek companionship. After all, even the media gave its approval. Perhaps it is because we are surrounded by stories of soulmates?

—from the celebrities we admire to the influencers we trust, many seem to have found that one special person destined for them. Over time, the idea of soulmates becomes less like a belief and more like a certainty for the viewers, but I digress—there are more psychological and emotional risks than benefits.

…

Disclaimer:

Today’s article is not intended to shame people in relationships or claim that they are wrong. Instead, it aims to examine the soulmate concept itself—an idea presented in such a beautiful package that many never feel compelled to look beyond the wrapping. This analysis is not influenced by external sources or any individual. As it was dissected from my own observations, this topic is approached without any preconceived bias.

Introduction

What is the purpose of promoting the idea?

• To give hope for the hopeless romantics.

• A dream for the daydreamers.

• A certainty for the uncertain.

Started to notice a pattern?

• To comfort the lonely.

• Give meaning to the wanderers.

—the pretty package lies fragile in the distortion of love; this is the first danger.

…

DANGER 1: ROSE-COLORED GLASSES

Thinking of a soulmate can turn love into emotional confinement. Idealizing someone as your ‘fated partner’ simply because they were nice to you. Ignoring their red flags because ‘they’re the one.’ This danger is the epitome of the pretty package. A projection through rose-colored glasses. Our reality that’s rooted in fantasy—encouraging us to project our desires onto another person.

Comment: As someone who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, it’s a struggle to deal with compulsive behavior. It’s an anxiety disorder that I make every effort to prevent. Since it’s triggered by an obsessive thought first, limerence is one of my triggers too that I prefer to avoid like the plague.

I thrive on productivity; limerence only distracts me from it. I don’t wish to indulge myself in more irrelevant thoughts further because it’s an exhausting repetition that has no tangible relief…

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DANGER 2: LABELING

Labels turn connections into emotional possession. By labeling them as your ‘soulmate’, this conditions the mind to make the certainty in love intensify emotional dependency. [Possession = Attachment]

A perfect example of this is labeling an ex-friend ‘my enemy’ and a co-worker ‘my bestie’. Regardless of the situation—the situation present being the same—you treat your ex-friend as badly and a co-worker as well, respectively.

Ex-friend: “Hey, can I borrow your pencil?”

You: “How rude.”

Co-worker: “Hey, can I borrow your pencil?”

You: “Yes, of course.”

Comment: This is exactly the point. Do take note that labeling someone is different from naming them. Here’s the first contradiction: if you label someone as your soulmate easily, then can you un-soulmate them quickly, too?

Apparently not. They allegedly claim it’s hard to sever soul ties, so you have meditation guides and prayers all over the internet.

Second contradiction: it concerns those who never find their romantic soulmate. They are often dismissed as exceptions, yet this raises an uncomfortable question: if a soulmate exists for everyone, why are there exceptions?

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DANGER 3: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Searching for one person can reduce openness to many meaningful connections. Like focusing on “the soulmate” narrows the attention to the following examples:

• Missing friendships while searching for “the one.”

• Overlooking experiences due to romantic fixation.

• Emotional tunnel vision.

Belief in “destined person” may influence decisions:

• Staying in one place.

• Avoiding opportunities.

• Limiting personal growth or exploration.

Yes, danger three results in a lack of freedom. Ironically, within the soulmate concept. This is the third contradiction: while it promises liberation through love, it can quietly foster attachment, possession, and difficulty letting go, and love may be healthier when it is chosen rather than destined.

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Once confined in a single vessel, energy can be corrupted or tainted under pressure. This is because love is like energy; it cannot be measured or contained. When forced, it bears the fruit of desperation, possession, limerence, obsession, and other distorted forms of love.

In this understanding, we become those vessels that have care for others purely and openly. Because remaining in that state of unconditional love allows peace, wisdom, and confidence to arise as love flows freely. It’s an achievement worth striving for because love is the ultimate driving force of happiness, according to St. Augustine. While happiness is the ultimate purpose of life (eudaimonia).

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Continue to love even if it hurts; it cannot always be directed. And I don’t believe and agree that “we had loved the wrong person” because not every connection is a matter of right or wrong vessels, but of whether love is allowed to flow or becomes trapped in them…

Love yourself despite your flaws and imperfections (unconditionally). I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. -Psalm 139:14; it sets a reference point in loving others. Love your neighbors as you love yourself.

You have reached the end.

Symbolisms

Obsession: the pressure build-up

Possession: confinement

Desperation: a singular vessel

Limerence: When love is forced into a container

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This is what moral relativism teaches. It believes that morality is subjective. It encourages people to redefine wrongdoing according to their feelings. Over time, they begin constantly justifying, arguing, and insisting that while their minds are aware, they cannot control their hearts.

And over time, desire begins to overpower reason. When their bodies act irrationally, their actions become impulsive, and it’s when resentment takes root beneath The Hidden Masks of Emotion.

The Manifestations of Resentment in Anger

- Constant irritation toward others

- Enjoying arguments or retaliation

- Feeling secretly satisfied when others suffer

The Manifestations of Resentment in Pride

- Refusing to forgive because of one’s ego

- Blaming pain on others for superiority

- Looking down on people who hurt you

The Manifestations of Resentment in Envy

- Resenting others’ success or happiness

- Comparing your suffering to others’ lives

- Wanting others to lose what you lack

The Manifestations of Resentment in Greed

- Craving validation, attention, or revenge endlessly

- Never feeling emotionally satisfied

- Treating relationships as emotional possessions

Resentment’s desire resides in the shame of vulnerability. People rarely forsake resentment because it convinces them that they are morally correct. When pain is framed as justified, hatred feels like honesty, and revenge can feel like healing. In this way, resentment is able to justify itself endlessly. This is the danger.

Its very essence is to distort perception to avoid spiritual deliverance. It shifts blame onto anger, pride, envy, and greed, making it one of the hardest patterns to recognize and remove.

Its nature is cunning because it erases one’s self-awareness—the key to spiritual healing. This becomes visible through thoughts such as: “I deserve better than them” (Pride), and “Why do they have happiness while I suffer?” (Envy).

This article to spread awareness about resentment. It should never be underestimated or taken lightly. Though subtle, it gains a foothold in the heart and quietly corrupts the soul from within. It is the serpent of sins—feeding on the vulnerability created by unprocessed trauma and a lack of self-awareness, driving people to harm others and themselves, and trapping them in cycles of self-destruction where genuine healing can no longer take root.

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How people think of you is a concern.

Socializing with others is difficult when you have low self-esteem.

But for self-confidence, it takes one simple effort:

First Impressions.

First impressions matter. I am an introvert who rarely struggles with socializing. These days, even strangers’ interactions can turn into meaningful connections when I put my best foot forward.” The issue isn’t what others think of me, but how I present myself—

—I choose to present myself by bringing my positive qualities to the forefront. So, how? This article understands the stigma of insecurities and focuses on how to put your best foot forward despite them.

Here is The Table of Contents:

A. Identify Your Positive Traits

B. Practice and Strengthen Them

C. Learn from Others

Identify.

These are your strengths. They can be found through:

a. Traits you love about yourself.

b. Traits other people appreciate about you.

c. Traits you admire in other people.

One example per category includes, but is not limited to:

1. Values - generosity

2. Talents- public speaking skills

3. Physical Appearance - hair

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If generosity (1) is a value your family encourages (c), but it doesn’t come naturally to you, try practicing it. For example, you could give your teachers a small snack the week after examinations as a simple token of appreciation for their efforts in reviewing the class.

For every group project, volunteer to be the speaker (2), especially if you notice that you enjoy speaking and feel confident doing it (a).

If people compliment (b) your hair (3), take care of it or grow it out.

Practice.

The great part about the self-journey is building self-confidence. It grows through repetition and self-expression, which makes it different from self-esteem.

Self-esteem is your overall sense of self-worth.

Self-confidence is your belief in your ability to succeed in specific situations.

The latter is time-bound and achievable. With time and practice, your strengths become clearer, and you gradually attain more positive traits while your insecurities fade into the background.

Learn.

On the other hand, observe the qualities you admire in others. Struggling to identify your own assets is normal. During the process of learning and growth, we can become better versions of ourselves by looking at the people around us—not with envy, but as role models.

Love is attractive, magnetic, addictive…

Ask yourself: What makes this person memorable and pleasing to me?

Many celebrities attract people not only because of their appearance, but also because of their confidence and presence. They present themselves at their best, which naturally draws people in. “Oh, I remember this person is extremely accommodating despite their busy schedule.” Love feels magnetic when you begin to internalize small behaviors, each one slowly shaping you into the person you’re becoming.

In the end, everyone has insecurities, and physical appearance is a major concern for all in the 21st century. However, once your mindset changes, your heart naturally reflects in how you present yourself. Feeling happy shows in your smile, and peace is the way you stand tall.

Sometimes, it can even motivate you to exercise, take care of your appearance, or do small self-care habits like manicures. You only have one body, so build a character you feel comfortable living in every day.

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These three points will expand on the title of today’s article (my answer):

Other Alternatives

Learning Progressions

Parents’ Biases X Children’s Feelings

1

🐓Yes, there are other alternatives to school. In fact, homeschooling alone has been steadily increasing in recent years. The common reasons behind this shift are often summed up in two arguments:

Parent: “School isn’t helping my child,” and

Parent/Child: “Why spend so much when there are cheaper options?”

Meanwhile, the other options:

Online School

Unschooling

Private Tutoring

Vocational

Summer Classes

🐓You get the gist. If traditional schools consistently fail to support a child’s development, then reconsider whether it is still the appropriate learning environment, and exploring alternative forms of education becomes a reasonable consideration.

In addition, the simplest way to assess it is through a child’s learning progression. Please note that progress should not be based on attendance or preference alone, but on measurable development in literacy, skills, and independence.

2

🐓Imagine a 1st grade student who can’t spell three-letter words. Any parent would know that they’re pretty behind for their year level and peers. Take either alternative education or traditional schooling—what ultimately matters are that these modes of education should nurture students’ talents at a young age, instill academic values (e.g., time management, leadership), and awaken children’s hidden strengths and weaknesses.

3

🐓Back in my Entrepreneurship class, the teacher asked us, “Are you a manager or employee?” I said the latter without hesitation, only to find myself being or volunteering to be the leader of any group project henceforth. Quite ironic…

This proves that I have leadership within me; I just needed a push. And traditional schools rarely take “no” for an answer. They push students into roles and responsibilities without their consent. 🥲

“Don’t worry, it’s for my grades.” I always say to myself in the midst of academic hardships. However, the same might not apply in alternative learning setups. Sometimes it can be difficult for them to consistently ensure structure, accountability, and measurable progress. “To each their own,” I would reply.

4

🐓A reply to the last point: Parents often choose either their personal bias towards education or the child’s feelings. This is a subjective decision that will pose inevitable permanent consequences for better or worse. When I hated school, my mother never budged. Why? She said, “I see the potential in you to continue for a few more semesters…” I resented her for that, but she foreshadowed what happened next…

It’s unfortunate. This is a tough pill for me to swallow—my own pride. I grew to love school. Its structure and discipline made me appreciate waking up early and completing my tasks. I even came to value the hard work for the sake of earning decent grades.

But this is the truth I’ve come to accept: School is not the only valid path to becoming a functional member of society, but it is one of the most structured and reliable systems for measuring a child’s progress.

I am grateful that many of the qualities I’m most proud of were cultivated during my time in university. My growth was evident there, while after-school tutorials and other forms of learning served as my alternatives and support systems alongside traditional education.

5

🐓“To each their own,” I conclude. Parents shouldn’t blindly make choices when it comes to these life-changing topics. Their bias or the child’s feelings are not enough to guide such a decision. Today’s article explores the debate on whether schools should be considered mandatory at all. In the end, it all comes down to whether there is meaningful educational development in the child afterwards.

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• 99 Nights in the Forest

• Dandy’s World

• Demonology

• Forsaken

• Work at a Pizza Place - Bonus

(These are original images.)

Author’s Note:

8h 11m - Saturday

4h 47m - Sunday

Sprout’s Week happened—another of Dandy’s World’s latest updates. I’ve been grinding hard last weekend, as you can tell. These weren’t my regular screen time per day, but “it must be done,” I told myself. “Even if they’re just Sprout’s new skins.” Honestly, it’s no surprise that these titles are some of the most popular on Roblox, and there’s a reason for it. The main argument of this article is that grinding, as a core gameplay activity, is a key reason why Roblox horror games are so successful. This article examines why grinding specifically enhances the appeal of Roblox horror games.

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Chapter 1: Gameplays and Grinds (Top 2)

1. Demonology

Sitting with 379M visits, Demonology by Blaqk Magic Blue became Roblox’s version of Phasmophobia. Although there are titles like Blair, its simplicity and grinding culture are built around these standout qualities:

What did the game do right?

• Gameplay: It uses short, fast-paced mini rounds.

• Content Maturity - Moderate: This game was able to discern the tone between its horror theme and non-horror elements.

• Difficulty Scale: Players can adjust the challenge level. Its accessibility is for all—children or more demanding for experienced players alike.

2. 99 Nights in the Forest

Currently ranked as the top survival game in Roblox with 1.2B visits, 99 Nights in the Forest made history as the most popular horror experience on the platform. Developed by Grandma’s Favorite Games, its grinding mentality is infamous for the number of nights you attain in one infinite run. Solo or team, it’s a horror game that’s built in this strategic set-up:

What did the game do right?

• Gameplay: Cutting wood, building a base, protecting the campfire, and rescuing missing children—players are required to multitask.

• Reward System: Within the game, players have 42 badges to grind for.

• Special Classes: Players can choose different roles that each come with unique abilities.

Chapter 2: The Conclusion in Grinds

Cross-examining the popular Roblox games I’ve referenced, I can conclude that grinding aligns perfectly with the mechanics and community of Roblox horror games. These are the major factors why grinding fits so well in the platform’s horror genre:

Psychology: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Using Week Logs of Dandy’s World, class resets in 99 Nights, players are encouraged to stay active. Noting that these games aren’t “AFK or away from the keyboard friendly”, they create a strong sense of urgency. And that pushes players to keep playing until they are committed or enter a flow state.

Sociology: Social Pressure. Forsaken and Work at a Pizza Place players stay because others are progressing. When the whole concept of Forsaken is reminiscent of a group project with individual grading, its competitive nature can kill or amplify the toxic grind culture. Its goal? To become the best survivor or killer. And “Work at a Pizza Place” is no exception. Its house-building system can also trigger comparison, as players may feel envy when seeing neighbors with larger mansions and higher salaries.

Behavioral Economics: Time Investment vs Reward Perception. In summary, the players’ goal is the rewards associated with the grind; the developers’, on the other hand, is to maximize player engagement and overall playtime within the game. Although one might think, “it’s easy to get one reward,” once it is obtained, the cycle continues, encouraging players to keep grinding for the next goal, etc.

Chapter 3: Why The Grind Fails in Other Roblox Genres

• Spoiler Alert: It’s because other games operate in hustle culture.

However, in games, this works differently. Good game developers know that hustle culture is rarely the right approach, as players are often unforgiving and ruthless when games feel purely money-driven. Instead, their focus is on grind systems that are built around rewards and progression.

This difference keeps players engaged and sometimes encourages spending when necessary. This balance is a common pattern in successful games.

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